Delay drying up 38,000 stacks of compost

28 January 2009, 18:00 PM

Our Correspondent, Patuakhali

About 38,000 stacks of compost made under '100-day work' programme for unemployed people in seven upazilas of Patuakhali district are drying under the sun as farmers cannot use the natural fertiliser in their agriculture fields due to interference by local UP chairmen and members. Of the 37,543 stacks of compost made under the programme in October and November, 11,475 are in Galachipa, 10,638 in Baufal, 7956 in Dumki, 7323 in Sadar, 79 in Kalapara, 35 in Mirzagaj and 32 in Dashmina upazila. Farmers are interested to use the compost in the agriculture field but local union parishad chairmen and members are not allowing them. “We are forbidding local farmers to use the stacks of compost as local authorities will audit it in the field ,” said Golam Mostafa, chairman of Muradia UP under Dumki upazila. Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khaorshed Alam said, “We have already asked the UP chairmen to distribute the compost among local farmers so that they can use it in their fields to grow more food.”